Australian news, and some related international items

The Earth’s twin threats – nuclear and climate

Climate News Network 16th Nov 2017 Climate change and nuclear threats are closely linked and must be tackled together, US experts say. The warning comes from a working group chaired by
the Center for Climate and Security (CCS), a non-partisan policy institute
of security and military experts (many of them high-ranking former members
of the armed forces), in a report which offers a framework for
understanding and addressing the distinct problems together.

The report is published as this year’s UN climate summit draws to a close in Bonn in
the aftermath of President Trump’s tour of Asia, during which nuclear
weapons issues featured prominently.

Professor Christine Parthemore, a former adviser to the US defence department, co-chairs the working group.She told the Climate News Network: “Simultaneous effects of climate
change, tough social or economic pressures, and security challenges could
increase the risk of conflict among nuclear weapon-possessing states, even
if that conflict stems from miscalculation or misperception.

India and Pakistan are major concerns. “They are grappling with water stress,
deadly natural disasters, terrorism, and numerous other pressures. At the
same time, the types of nuclear weapons they are developing and policies on
command of those weapons are raising tensions between them.http://climatenewsnetwork.net/climate-nuclear-threats-twins/